Over Hot Lembas
by In Fair Verona
Summary: Set in the early chapters of the TT, Gimli is off finding firewood, and Legolas and Aragorn talk about their lives and problems, over Gimli's lembas, and the result is finding what they truly want, at a sacrifice. Please R/R!


Over Hot Lembas  
  
By: Me!  
Disclaimer: I don't own Legolas or Aragorn. Dammit! Or anything else on the face of Middle Earth!  
Rating: PG  
Summary: Gimli is off finding firewood, and Legolas and Aragorn talk about their lives and problems, over Gimli's lembas, and the result is finding what they truly want, at a sacrifice.   
A/N: I'm warning you, after I titled this, that uh, I never said the lembas were hot in the fic, so I'm just pointing out my own mistake. Stills makes a nice title though. Makes me want lembas myself!  
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"It's been quite a time since Gimli set out for firewood." Legolas said, turning towards the depths of Fangorn. "I'm beginning to worry..."  
"Worry not, fair Legolas." Aragorn said, joining his gaze. "It has not been as long as you think."  
"Still, I think I shall go to the edge of the forest, if he is still there, I should be able to see him moving amongst the trees."  
"You are quite concerned about Gimli." Aragorn stared fiercly at the fire they had built. "Pass the prejudice of Elves and Dwarves..."  
"I care not for such veiws. Elf, Dwarf, Hobbit or Human. As Elrond said, we all share the same fate." Legolas said, springing up and walking to the edge. "Gimli is a good fellow."  
"Yes, indeed he is." Aragorn watched as the elf neared the edge of Fangorn. His long and soft blonde locks flowing in the light breeze behind him. "Be careful Legolas." He said loudly. He looked down immediately, blushing. Why wish his companion at the edge caution when his other companion was walking through the midst of the forest at the same moment? Legolas paused and stared back at the king for a moment and then proceeded taking one step into the forest. He squinted and peered around. He spotted a short stout figure moving through the shadows. With a satisfied smile he walked back to the fire and sat down across from Aragorn.   
"Gimli is fine. I do not know why I was worried so."  
"I told you, there was no need to worry. Now, I feel like a bit of my lembas." He pulled out the gifted elven cake, and split it in half, offering one half to Legolas.  
"I have my own, thankyou."  
"Very well." Aragorn put one half into his mouth, savoring the flavour as it spread across his tongue. "Mmm. Mmm."  
"I cannot stand to see you in such pleasure!" Legolas laughed. He held out his hand towards Aragorn who placed the other half in his hand. Legolas bit into it, devouring it quickly. "How many do you have left?"  
"Now, now, Legolas. We cannot finish all of these!" Aragorn scolded.   
"But Aragorn! I fear that a prejudice is re-building inside of me!" Legolas said, glancing at Gimli's elven cloak which lay near them. "I've already finished all of my cakes..."  
"I thought you said you had your own..."  
"I did. Until I ate it all whilst we took a break and I had nothing better to do but watch the rolling hills and twinkling stars."  
"I doubt Gimli would notice if you took one. I would not tell." Aragorn chuckled deeply.  
"But Gimli does treasure all gifts of the lady, very dearly..."  
"Oh, Legolas, just take one." The elf stared at the king in amazement. It was no wonder he declined the throne. He couldn't be free, to rebel, and do as he please. Maybe even so now. Legolas pondered about his own destiny. He wasn't looking forward to returning to the throne of Mirkwood, either, prince as he was. Legolas reached forward to Gimli's cloak, pulling out a lemba and eating it whole.   
"Ah." The elf sighed happily. Aragorn smiled at the elf's delight and snatched a cake from Gimli's cloak himself.   
"This is terribly wrong..." Aragorn said, unwrapping it and biting off a large piece.  
"I thought you had more of _your_ own!" Legolas said suspicously.  
"I did. Until I ate them all while on last night's watch. I had grown terribly hungry and might not have had the strength to continue, to push on, as you so urged."  
"I would've stopped for you, Aragorn." Legolas said, taking another cake from Gimli's stash."  
"I know you would, Legolas." The man layed on his back, looking up at the twinkling stars.   
"Your eyes are clouded, Aragorn. Something troubles you. Is it the little ones? We will find them..."  
"No. For the first time, it is not the little ones. It is someone else."  
"Boromir?" Legolas questioned finishing his current lemba, and taking two from Gimli, handing one to Aragorn who had also finished his lemba.  
"No." Aragorn unwrapped the cake and stared at it for a moment before biting and chewing. "If you must know...someone back in Rivendell."  
"Elrond?" Legolas asked innocently. Aragorn arched an eyebrow at the young elven prince.   
"Arwen." Aragorn murmured.   
"Oh, I see." Legolas said, staring intently at the ground. "You miss her..." He trailed off.  
"No, Legolas that is not it." He heaved a great sigh, finishing the lemba and moving on to another. "I do not miss her in the least bit...you know, I was a young foolish boy when I first layed eyes on Arwen. I was confused and easily manipulated."  
"Then you have strengthened much." Legolas complimented.  
"Thankyou, Legolas. Back then... I thought I stumbled into a dream. Now, I wish that is what it was. I do not feel for her now. I haven't for a long time. I longed to stay simply friends, to refuse every gift she gave me, because I didn't want to hurt her. It seems that she loves me so..."  
"She does." Legolas said sadly, laying on his stomache and folding the wrappings of a lemba.   
"I could not tell her... that I did not love her no longer, if I ever loved her in the first place. I meant to tell her... before the council... because I knew in my heart this quest was my destiny. I could not bring myself up to it, when she gave up her immortality for me." Aragorn turned to look at Legolas who had an expression of utter shock on his face.  
"She gave up her immortality?!" He cried. Aragorn nodded silently. "But..."  
"So she plans that when the ring is destroyed... I will come home to Rivendell... and we shall marry. But it is not that simple."  
"You do not wish to marry her."  
"No." Aragorn reached for another lemba, then raised his head slightly realizing Gimli's entire stash was gone. "It seems we've robbed Gimli dry."  
"Oh..." Legolas looked at the cloak worriedly.   
"Do not worry Legolas. We shall tell Gimli that orcs ran off with the lembas."  
"That's not a very beleivable story!"  
"Well, Gimli will beleive us."  
"I do hope you are not being prejudice against the dwarf."  
"I am not. But you must admit, those cakes were delicious."  
"Aye, they were."  
"Now tell me, fair Legolas, is there someone waiting for you back in Mirkwood?"  
"Nay!" Legolas said, a little too quickly. "No one." He blushed slightly.  
"I find that hard to beleive. A young elven prince like yourself..."  
"My Father, he wanted to arrange a wedding. 'Enough foolish wandering in the forest, shooting down the black birds, Legolas!' He says. He didn't want me to travel to Rivendell, but I was able to convince him to allow me to leave. But he announced I was bethrothed to Zuolindeil, an elf maiden before I left. So like you, when our journey is done, I will be welcomed home by white doves and silver bells." Legolas said sadly.   
"I think I have heard of this Zuolindeil." Aragorn said uncomfortably. "I hear she is beautiful."  
"I suppose she is. Long red hair, like auburn sunshine, and falling leaves. Golden skin touched by the sun and graceful like the winds of Lorien. But that is from an artist's perspective. Not... not a lover's."  
"It seems we are both in a fix then." Aragorn said, sitting up once again.   
"With no way out. I feel trapped in Mirkwood. But here, right now, I can be free." Legolas also sat up, facing him.   
"Yes. I think that is what I want as well, Legolas. To be free of my royal bindings, and free of Arwen... but not free of love. I still yearn to feel that."  
"I could-" Legolas cut himself off. "I do as well." He said quietly. He felt a soft touch under his chin and his head was tilted so that he met Aragorn eye to eye. He felt the closeness making him blush hot in the cheeks.   
"One day, fair Legolas, we will both know what it is like to love. I promise you that." He stared at the elf for a moment. Legolas raised his left hand, grasping the kings hand from underneath his chin and entwining their fingers.  
"Aragorn I-" He began to make a confession but Aragorn cut him off, putting his free hand to the elf's lips. Moving his hand away and letting it cover their held hands, he leaned in closely, his breath brushing against the fair moonlit face. "I..." Legolas continued, but he was silenced. Silenced with a kiss. Aragorn pulled away slightly, looking at the elf's dark blue eyes. Legolas moved his free hand to the king's shoulder, and then up the side of the man's rugged face, and through his glossy tangled raven strands. He slowly leaned forward, closing the gap, kissing Aragorn softly, but passionately. They stayed that way, sitting there together, like two halves of a whole, never feeling more complete in their lives, when there was a loud yell coming from the woods. Legolas pulled away quickly. "Gimli!" He shouted, standing up and pulling away from the man. He lept forward quickly, running into the Fangorn, grabbing an arrow from his quiver and placing it in his bow. He was joined by Aragorn who had the sword of Elendil drawn and ready.   
"What do you hear?" Aragorn asked the elf. Legolas turned his head a pointed to the northeast.  
"That way!" They both ran quickly over the trees and dirt, looking around every now and then. There was a loud shrieking sound from the tree tops. "Orcs." Legolas said grimly.   
"They're leaving." Aragorn pushed past a gathering of bushes, stopping dead in his tracks. There, on the leafy ground Gimli lay, two arrows in his heart. Just like they had found Boromir... Legolas could not see past Aragorn's broad shoulders and shuffled a bit.   
"Aragorn... what is it?" He asked uncomfortably. Aragorn turned back at the elf sadly, stepping out of his veiw. The elf gave a shrill cry and they could hear in reply, the cruel laughter of the fleeing orcs. The elf bent down on his knees, crawling forward to the downed dwarf. "He's dead." Legolas said sadly, closing the dwarf's eyelids. "How could I have been so stupid... it wasn't Gimli I saw running around, it must've been orcs... and to get myself so distracted with my own woes..." A tear slipped down the elf's pale cheek. Aragorn bent down, placing a hand on his shoulder.   
"This is my fault. I let this happen." He said grimly, looking at the fallen dwarf. "Legolas, it is not your fault!"  
"I know." The elf cried, standing up. Aragorn joined him in stance and pulled the sobbing elf close to him, wrapping his strong arms around the slender elf body. Legolas cried into his shoulder, swearing in elven. Aragorn ran his hand comfortingly through the long blond strands.   
"Shh...shh... we cannot stay in the forest long. Let us take Gimli out, and give him a proper burial." Aragorn picked up the ax and unattached the belt around the dwarf, wrapping it around Legolas' waist and sliding the ax in the proper place. He then picked up Gimli by the arms and Legolas carried his feet. They carried him out of the forest back to their campfire. Legolas sat down, huddled, his knees draw to his chest. Aragorn sat next to him, wrapping an arm around the elf's shoulders and Legolas put a hand on his back, leaning his head on Aragorn's shoulder. Aragorn kissed his forehead tenderly and they stared at their fallen companion. Legolas parted his dry lips, and managed to choke out a train of words.  
"I suppose now... we won't have to worry about the lembas."   
  


The End  
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A/N: So did you like it? This is my first LOTR and slash fic ever! I guess I'm really getting attached to A/L! I hope you're not pissed because Gimli's dead. I mean... this is obviously AU, I mean, hello it's UC and Slash! And Gimli's cool in my book so I'm not "prejudice" against dwarves. It was just... for the plot. Because I wanted that for a last line. Mm-hmm. No flames please, because this is my first slash and LOTR work!  



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